No Words
by cnnoujaim
Summary: After that day when Mako found Korra he straightens out his feelings and tells her that whatever is between them is over and goes to Asami. She is so heartbroken that she cuts herself, and Bolin finds out. borra fluff later on, still in the works.
1. The Beginning

When Korra woke up that morning, she knew there would be some straightening out to do, especially with Mako.

He obviously heard her stir, and he woke up from his little nap he was taking. She knew that it was his turn to watch over her in her bed, just to make sure she was ok.

"Hey Mako," Korra said sleepily to the firebender.

"Korra, I know that you are still recovering, but we kinda need to talk," said Mako, sadness in his eyes.

"Yeah, sure," she said. Her breath was almost gone. Her blood pressure elevated, and she knew that he was about to tell her bad news. Her temperature was rising, and she was just waiting to hear what he had to say.

"Korra, look. I know you like me, and I like you. But… I can't do this to you or Asami anymore. I talked to her while you were asleep, and I told her everything I was feeling. I decided that… for me to be with you would just not work. I love Asami, just like I always have. I want us to be best friends until the end of the earth because I truly care about you Korra, but I…" Mako paused, for what seemed like forever. "I can't do this to anyone anymore. I'm sorry"

Korra's heart stopped. She couldn't believe her ears. "Just… go," she said to the firebender, trying to keep her composure.

He left, and then the tears started coming. She tried, oh how she tried, but they just kept coming.

She couldn't take it anymore, so she ran outside to the cliff where she usually sits to think.

When she got there, the tears really began to fall hard. She couldn't think anymore.

_I really thought… I really thought he loved me, like I loved him. _She just couldn't put anything into comprehensible sentences in her head.

_What now? _ she thought to herself. Her feelings were a hurricane of awfulness, and it felt like her heart was being pulled out. She wanted to skin herself alive. The pain she was feeling just couldn't be put into words.

She reached into her pocket to look for the parting gift her parents gave her before she left for Republic City. She took it out and slowly took the cap off the dagger she held so dear in case she needed to use it for self-defense. She stared at the blade for a minute, then stared at the open skin on her left wrist.

_Maybe…_ she thought, contemplating what she should do. What she _had_ to do. She felt herself almost automatically placing the cold blade against the creases of her wrists.

_No. It can't… _she thought. Or she hoped. Then she felt the blade cut right into the skin and a little trickle of blood came out. She quickly pulled the blade from her wrist and peered. She gasped at the thought of what just happened.

But there was no stopping her now.


	2. The Finding

Every night since then, Korra did what she thought was right. What she KNEW was right.

The scars were up and down her arm now. She started wearing her air acolyte clothing more and more to hide her scars. When she wore her regular clothes, she made sure the clasps covered as many of the scars as possible, and she wouldn't move her arms much.

She thought no one had noticed.

She was dead wrong.

It was dark outside, probably about 1 am, and Korra was dying inside. She ran to the cliff and she cried, harder and harder. The dagger pierced her skin again and again. She slashed at it until there was no more room left where her arm band would cover anymore, and she just didn't care. She pushed harder and harder into the old scars, making them bleed even more. Her arm was covered, even though it was only a week.

She made sure that in the morning she healed the scars. She didn't want to. She wanted the scars to stay forever, make her feel even more pain. But she knew if Tenzin found out that she was going right back to the South Pole. So she did what she had to do.

Even so, the scars were still mildly visible, but no one would notice unless they looked hard.

She snapped back to reality, looking at the bloody knife she was holding. She cleaned it off with the inside of her shirt and turned to go back in when she was faced with something she didn't want to see like this. Ever.

Bolin.

"Hey Bo…" she said awkwardly to the earthbender who had this astonished look on his face. "How long have you been…" Korra couldn't look him in the eye.

"Korra…" he said, solemn tears in his eyes. Korra felt him softly grab her left hand and lift it to his chest.

She ripped her hand away when she realized what was going on.

"Just let me look," he said, very quietly. "I already saw."

She knew he did, but showing it hurt more than making the slits themselves. He grabbed her hand just as soft, knowing that he had to be calm with her.

He unclasped the clip on her wrists to take a look at what she had done. He started to cry, solemnly and darkly.

Korra fell to the ground. "I'm so sorry Bo. I couldn't stop…" She started to cry.

Bolin slowly let himself embrace her as she cried. He cried too.

"It's ok Korra," he whispered into her ear. "I have you now."


	3. The Talk

"Korra…" Bolin said, after holding her for about 10 minutes. She had just stopped crying.

"Bolin, right now I just don't want to talk about it," she said between quiet sobs. "I need a day to process what is happening. Tomorrow, I promise."

He looked at her and nodded. That's all he could do.

The next day, Bolin paid extra attention to how Korra was acting. It was almost perfect. She smiled at the things she used to. She acted her usual Korra self. No change. He was surprised at how well she hid it. Without knowing, he would have never noticed how timid Korra was with her arm movements or how she wore more long sleeves. He could tell no one else noticed.

It was almost scary. He realized that something like this could go on, and no one could know.

The day passed, and Korra would stare over at Bolin, checking on him. _If he tells anyone… _she thought. _I'd be dead._

She was so scared. Telling Bolin everything, it would destroy the privacy she had been working so hard on. Being alone, keeping this secret, she wouldn't be able to do it anymore. And it scared her to the bone.

It was 11 pm, and she knew Bolin would look for her at her usual spot. She thought about going somewhere else, but she couldn't. _It's like I want him to know, _she thought, but quickly shook it off.

Bolin showed up not long after she sat down.

"Hey Korra," he said softly. He knew this was going to be a touchy subject for her, and he would have to be very careful with what she said.

"Hey Bo," she said between muffled sobs. Her eyes were already red and puffy, and she let the tears come.

"Korra, it's ok. Shhhhhhhhh. It's going to be ok," he said, trying to comfort her.

"Bo, I… I don't know how to explain it… I just—"

"Korra, I know it's hard. Tell me how you feel. That will help us get started."

She paused for a moment, trying to clear her head. "I feel… useless. I'm a half-baked no-good Avatar who can't even keep herself from getting captured. I am terrible at everything, I can't even like the right guy…"

Bolin paused to look at her as she cried. The words weren't coming from her mouth, and he tried to put it all together.

"Is that it, Korra? Is it because of…" She nodded. He didn't even have to finish his sentence, or say anything.

_My lousy brother, _he thought with a tinge of disgust. _He has to just lead her on like this._

"Bolin… I'm ok, really," Korra said, trying to get him to leave. _I just want to…I need more,_ she thought.

"Korra, I can't leave you. You're gonna—"

She hastily cut him off.

"Don't you ever say that word. I hate. I hate it when you say it."

"Is it because you don't want to face it?" he whispered, trying to keep her calm. He didn't want her crying again.

"Maybe…"

Honestly, she didn't know.


	4. The Feelings

The days continued as they were. Korra would go find Bolin, he would stop her from touching the knife.

She was glad. As much as she wanted so badly to touch the sharp objects, she couldn't. Not with Bolin around. And the scars started to heal.

But that didn't change how she felt about herself.

"Bolin, I feel so useless. So pointless. Like there is no use to my existence. There should be a different avatar," she would say, and it would make him want to tear his heart out.

"You're not worthless," he would say back, but it never sank in.

"I feel better now, Bo," she'd sigh at the end of the night, but he knew the next day, she'd feel as bad, or worse.

The days went on, and he started to realize her mannerisms had changed. Even when they were alone, she would hide her arms. They seemed so obvious to him. The way her smile was different. She wasn't exuberant as usual. Everything was different about her. But it seemed to blow right over everyone else's head.

This didn't surprise him at all. She was so particular about how she was; no one would get the chance to notice.

"It's like I want them to notice on their own, but they won't," she said one night, when she felt extra alone.

He wished he could scream it to the world, have them help her. He knew they cared. Of course they did. Everyone cared about her and wanted her to be happy. Even Mako, who had a weird way of showing it, with him being away with Asami all the time. He saw the two lovebirds less and less. At least so did Korra. He was glad Korra didn't have to see them all the time.

When she did, it was awful.

Some of her worst days were when Mako and Asami stayed home. She'd either lock herself in her bedroom or hide in the library, not reading, just crying.

As the days went on, it became more than that. The sadness she was feeling was stifling her airbending progress, and it made her even more down on herself.

The next night, she was the worst she ever had been. "I'm not worth anything Bo. I can't make a measly puff of air. I'm not worth it. Even my waterbending is failing me."

He looked at her with solemn eyes. Not angry that she wouldn't change her mind. No. He was sad. He was so sad that she couldn't see how amazing she was. He knew that, but she wouldn't believe it.

"Korra, you are so unbelievably perfect it's not even funny," he choked out, ready to cry at seeing her so sad. "I see so much in you. Your future, it's going to be amazing. You are going to get out of this mess, then you are going to be the best and most badass avatar ever."

"No—"

He cut her off. He wasn't going to let her say one more awful thing about herself. "Don't you see? I want so bad for you to beat this sadness. I want you to fight this darkness, and I want you to win. And I want you to live for years and years. And I want for you to get through this, and be so glad you did. And I want you to be so much stronger for it. And I want for you to find so much happiness, more happiness than I will ever find. I want you to find fulfillment and peace. But most of all, I wish you could get even just a tiny glimpse of all that I see in you. All that I see you can be, all that I want you to find and become, all that I believe you can grow into. And you will be amazing."

She sat there, absolutely speechless.

"Do you really think that about me Bo?" She asked, baffled at what he just said.

"Of course."

She started to cry and he held her.

"I'll tell you that until you truly understand how great you are."


	5. The Infinity

Just like the scars on her arm, Korra started to get better. Bolin knew that like the scars, the feelings would never truly fade. They would still plague her mind sometimes.

But now, Korra had her real smile back. And he was so glad inside. Because she had dealt with all this pressure, this pain for way too long. It must have been 6 or 7 months now, and with Amon still on the prowl and the fact she had to fight him no matter how she felt.

The truth was she still felt sad every night. She would spend hours with him at her favorite spot just crying.

"I know even though you keep telling me how great I am, I can't believe it," she said to him that night. "I don't feel special, or good at anything, and I just have trouble believing you, even though I shouldn't. Part of me knows you're right, and part of me knows you're wrong."

"Look Korra, that's what it wants you to see."

"It?" she asks, confused at what he's referring to.

"THIS. The pain, the confusion, the depression. It clouds your vision, not allowing you to see how amazing you truly are. And the truth is the only way for you to get over it is to just keep listening to me, and don't give in."

"How…" she started sobbing again. "How do you know I will?"

He looked at her with tired eyes, trying not to fall asleep. "Because everything ends."

She scoffed. "Obviously not. Have you seen Mako and Asami?"

He sighed, knowing there wasn't anything he could say to make her feel better. It killed him.

"I just… I can't…" she mumbled as she started to fall asleep in his arms.

"It's ok Korra," he said as she was fading. "It's gonna be ok."

A/N I know it's short but I'm starting to get to the part in the story where it's gonna take a lot more to make it actually realistic.


	6. The Question

Korra woke up looking up at Bolin. It was morning, and she couldn't remember what happened.

She jumped, realizing she just was sleeping with Bolin. Her face went bright red.

"Korra! Calm down! You just fell asleep, and I didn't want to wake you," Bolin hushed, trying to get Korra to calm down. It didn't seem to be successful.

She started pacing in a circle. "What… what if Tenzin found out? He's gonna kill you!"

"For what, Korra?" he asked. "You just fell asleep. If anything, he'd be glad I didn't wake you. Nothing happened. I promise."

She sighed in relief, plopping down on her butt. "Thank god. Tenzin would have my head on a stick."

Bolin chuckled, and she smiled. Like, really smiled. Her actual, real, not fake smile. For the first time in 7 months.

"You know, Bo," she started saying, but she stopped. "Nevermind."

Bolin gave her a playful pout. "What? You can't pull that on me."

She chuckled again. Another real one. "We should go out to town today. It's been a while since we've done anything like that together."

He was baffled at what he heard. _Is she… asking me out? _he thought hopefully. _No, it's impossible. She still likes Mako._

"Then it's a date," he says playfully, as not to imply anything. He doesn't want her to feel uncomfortable.

But she reciprocated. She gabe him a little kiss on the cheek before skidding away to get dressed. He started to go red and threw his fist up in the air.

_YES! YES YES YES! _he thought, thinking about how Korra might just like him back like he liked her. He knew he had to get dressed, to look his best for her. He though about how she acted this morning a little more. _Maybe now she can finally get over Mako and Asami, _he thought, hopefully. _Maybe this will finally go away for her._


	7. They Go

Bolin met Korra at the dock of the Island.

"Ready to take a trip?" she asked, motioning toward Naga.

"Alright," he said with a smile, and he plopped onto the polar bear dog's back.

She sat in front of him, taking the reigns. "Time for a swim Naga," she cooed in the sweetest way. Bolin started to really look at Korra. Her hair was down, and she shined in the sunlight. The happy feeling she emanated made Bolin want to cry tears of joy.

It had been so long for her. The months had passed so slowly for him, and he couldn't imagine how slow it was for her. Especially with the knife…

He shivered even thinking about it.

Korra turned around, noticing how Bolin was spacing. "You ok Bo?" she asked, with a solemn concern. Ever since this had been happening to her, she looked for signs in others.

"Yeah, I'm just excited," he replied, with a sweet smile.

They approached the dock and Naga made the smooth transition from water to land. Korra jumped off their ride and pulled Bolin down with her.

"Hey!"

"Sorry," she taunted with a teasing smile.

They both put on a fake serious face on before bursting into laughter.

_This feels so… right_, they both thought at the same time. In perfect harmony.

She grabbed his hand and started tugging him towards the city. "C'mon, alleyboy."

**Linebreak**

As the two of them ate the delicious water tribe grout at Narooks, Bolin started thinking.

_She was so sad, _he thought. _Just last night, she was so sad. Her eyes were full of tears. She was crying on my shoulder, depressed over her so-called failure and my brother. What changed?_

She noticed him spacing again, and started to get worried.

"Bo, is everything ok?" she asked, now seriously concerned.

He took a breath. "I'm fine, but you seem…" he paused. "Different. Do you feel it?"

She took a second to pause and think. "I kind of do feel it. Something happened last night."

He looked at her, confused. She noticed how lost he was. "Let's get out of here. The park should suffice."

Bolin paid the bill and they left for the park. She began to explain. "I had a dream, Bo. A very ood dream. It was me, and you, and me…" she was stumbling over her words, and he just wanted her to spit it out.

"You and me, together. Like TOGETHER together. As a couple. And it felt so right." she looked into his eyes and took a nervous breath. "And, I thought, I would try it. Because in the dream, I felt okay."

She started to cry, and he caught her before she fell. "It's just… been so long since I felt happy. And then with you, I feel so comfortable. And… and…"

She couldn't stop sobbing, and Bolin held her tighter. "It's ok. I'm right here." He almost cried too, but he knew he had to be strong.

For her.

He kissed her on the top of the head, and rubbed her back.

"It's gonna be ok. I'm right here."

A/N do you think I should continue? I'm debating whether to end it here because it's kinda off canon, but I really like where it is going. Also, if you noticed a Dr. Who reference, leave it in your review, which you should do.


	8. The Dream

A/N: From now on, I'll be responding to reviews. So don't forget to leave one!

hidansgirl1234- I am soooo gonna continue. Though this will be the last chapter for a while, I'm gonna keep going. I promise.

borrrrraaaa- It IS canon in my heart 3 I'm gonna make this chapter long and I'm gonna steal your idea. Hope you don't mind!

(also, the italics in this chapter mean flashbacks. Bold is the dream.)

* * *

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining a beautiful yellow-gold, and Korra and Bolin had decided to take a trip to the park. They stopped at the fountain, which was glittering as the rays of sun hit it while it rippled.

Korra looked up at Bolin and gave him a cute pout. "I'm tired. Can we sit a minute?" she asked ever so quietly.

"Sure," he said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. He sat down and leaned back on the fountain's edge, then motioned for her to sit across his lap.

"You know," he started. "It's been two weeks, and you still haven't told me about your dream."

She pouted, remembering the promise she made to him. _'I'll tell you all about it,' she had said after the crying stopped. 'Just not now.'_

She let out a loud sigh. "Fine," she huffed, turning to face him.

… **It was dark. The blackness felt like shards on her skin, and it was dense. Korra couldn't move. If she tried, she would be torn to shreds and crushed. She was only able to blink; her other movements were impossible.**

**The black let up in one spot; and there he was, in front of her. Mako.**

**Korra reached out for him, but she couldn't touch him. The shards were still ripping her apart piece by piece, and she began to break down.**

"**Mako…" she stuttered. "I…" The dream Mako put a finger to her lips, silencing her before he disappeared into the black. **

**Then, another figure faded in from the darkness. Bolin.**

**The darkness started to let up, and she was in the park. The shards disappeared, and the horrible rips on her skin were healed. She ran toward him, and he embraced her, watching as she cried.**

**Then, the crying stopped. She looked at him, and felt… happy. She didn't want to cry anymore. Never again.**

**Dream Bolin hugged her tighter, and then gave her a kiss on her hair. "I love you," he said. Korra felt the dream fading, and she couldn't stop it.**

"**I… love you too…" were the last words she was able to stutter out before waking up.**

"Wow," Bolin said, almost dumb-founded at the dream. "That's pretty intense."

She punched him in the shoulder, and they both laughed. The laugh didn't last long, and Bolin looked at Korra with questioning eyes.

"Do you…" he started, unable to spit out the words. "Do you love me?"

She looked at him with a warm smile. The smile that melted his heart every time she gave it to him. The same smile that she only gave when she was truly happy. The smile that had been showing up a lot more frequently.

"Of course I do," she said as she laid down on his lap, knees tucked to her chest.

He looked at her in awe. She was so… happy. It had been two very hard weeks of conflict within herself.

'_Bolin,' she had said, just the other night. 'It feels like I NEED to be sad. Because… I don't know, maybe it makes me special.'_

_Bolin looked at her with tired eyes, trying to hide his apparent lack of sleep. "I know it feels this way, but remember the depression goggles," he reminded her. "They WANT you to think that. They WANT you to believe this is what makes you special. But you are getting better. You and I both know that now. There is no running away from it. You can do this, and you don't need to be sad to be amazing you."_

"Korra?" Bolin whispered to the quiet waterbender, not sure if she was still awake due to her closed eyes.

"Yeah Bo?" she whispered back, fluttering her eyes open.

"Are you happy now? Like in the dream?" he asked.

It took her a minute to answer him, not sure what to say. "Honestly Bo, as hard as it still is for me, I've never been happier."

She took one long look into his deep green eyes before getting up and kissing him full on the lips. He tenderly held her face, and she draped her arms around his neck.

Bolin pulled away, needing breath. "I hope you know how much I love you back."

She gave him a light-hearted chuckle as she put her head on his shoulder.

"Of course I do, silly."

* * *

A/N so that's it for this chapter! I tried to make it as long as possible without it feeling drabby, so whatever. I never thought I'd get this far in this story so thanks :) Don't forget to leave a review! If I get enough tonight, I might write one more chapter before I leave (I'll be completely gone by Wednesday the 27th)! I love suggestions and encouragement!

Thanks for reading


	9. The Confrontation

A/N: Guess who's back!

Review response time!

author2be3: I know right! Finally BORRAAAAA! Thanks for the compliment, and I'm totally gonna continue!

whimsicalbreeze3897: I know how you feel! I wish I had a Bolin too!

Guest #1: BORRA 4EVAH

Guest #2: Thankkksssss u

Moonlight beauty8: I was dying for more my entire way away! I can't wait to see what happens too! (the plot just kind of flows)

Guest #3: That song fits so well too!

LegendOfTheAvatars: Thanks for the idea! the first time I read it, I interpreted it differently, so that's what I'm actually do! I was thinking of ending it but thank you SO much for the new twist!

Korra opened her eyes and looked up at Bolin.

"Shall we go then?" she asked lightly as she bounced to her feet.

Bolin chuckled, then rose as well. "Of course, m'lady," he said as he bowed to her. He then grabbed her hand and they walked along, fingers intertwined. Korra looked at Bolin and gave him the warmest smile he had ever seen, and he just couldn't resist giving her a kiss on the forehead. Her sea blue eyes were just begging for it.

As they strolled along, they came across many couples enjoying the beautiful spring afternoon just as they had been. But they weren't expecting one specific person to be there.

Mako. With Asami.

Out of the corner of her eye, Korra could have sworn she saw Mako standing by the lamp post that marked the northeastern corner of the park. _Impossible, _she thought, her head racing. _I'm just imagining it._ In the end, she couldn't help taking another peek in that direction, just to check. After further inspection, it was unmistakable that the man leaning on the post was, in fact, Mako. With Asami, nonetheless.

Bolin took a look over at Korra, hoping to see the warmth in her face that he had just witnessed. Instead, he came across a look of utter despair. After glimpsing in the same direction as she, he began to understand.

"Ah, I see," he said as she whipped her head around, realizing she was caught. "You still love him, don't you?"

Korra sighed. It was so obvious to her that Bolin still didn't get it. "It's not that," she said with confidence, to make sure he understood. "It's just… every time I see them, I'm reminded of that time. That wretched, awful time in my life where…" Korra couldn't even finish her sentence before she became all choked up.

Bolin was quick to grab her and swiftly remove her from Mako and Asami's line of sight. They still hadn't spotted them, and Bolin hoped desperately it would stay that way. He took a long breath and looked deep into Korra's eyes.

"Korra, I know that it's really hard for you right now. The transition for you is shaky and you don't even know if you're really happy. But I need you to look at me right now and realize this. You ARE truly happy. You know it, and I know it. You have beaten it. It's over. And I know how impossible it can be to accept sometimes, but you just have to believe me. You. Are. Perfect. And you know it now, too. There is nothing for you to fight with yourself over. It's done."

Korra looked away, but Bolin grabbed her face gently and directed it straight towards his. She peered at him and smiled.

"Thank you."

A/N That's it for now! Hope you guys liked it! Let me know what should happen next. As always, I appreciate and use suggestions. Heck, I've used every single suggestion I've gotten. So keep 'em coming so I can do what YOU want!


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